Microterrors: The Complete Guide to Bacterial, Viral and Fungal Infections that Threaten Our Health

by Tony Hart

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The hidden dangers surrounding us. Despite the confident strides of modern science, the threat of deadly unseen organisms such as viruses, bacteria and fungi still grip the imagination with their ferocious intensity. For instance, resistant strains of bacteria can now survive the strongest antibiotics and deadly new biological weapons are being cooked up in laboratories worldwide. Microterrors explores these threats as well as humanity's greatest living rivals that have been on the planet show more far longer than we have. The introduction covers terms, definitions and a brief natural history, including the role of viruses in human evolution, as well as bioengineering and biological weapons. Microterrors then presents the truly terrifying rogues' gallery of invisible killers. Dramatic life-like digital illustrations and computer-colored electron images provide mug book profiles of hundreds of naturally occurring and bioengineered microterrors, including: - Ebola, bubonic plague, cholera, malaria - Bacteria: pneumonia, anthrax, botulism - Viruses: HIV, hepatitis, common cold - Fungi and blood and tissue diseases. Each entry includes concise facts such as date of discovery and place of origin, period of incubation, symptoms and length of suffering, likelihood of death, treatments, vaccines and cures. show less

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1 review
I read Microterrors. It's essentially a reference book, but that didn't stop me. I love microterrors, the microscopic critters themselves and the book about them! I wouldn't recommend most people reading straight through it like I did, but it's certainly a worthwhile book.

Microterrors is a comprehensive list of nearly 200 different viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. Each page is dedicated to a different organism, except for the more noteworthy ones that get an extra page, and each organism gets a big colorful image to represent the little bugger. The pictures are dazzling, very bright and colorful, and definitely eye-catching. I found myself skimming through the book regularly when I was supposed to be reading other books, because show more it's just so fun to flip through. Fun, that is, if you enjoy flipping through books about hemorrhagic fever and diarrheal diseases...

The colors can work against it to some extent though. It can be kind of odd to be reading about Ebola and then look to see a bright pink and purple image. Not very intimidating. Is the virus going cause severe fever and make me bleed from every orifice or drive me mad with loud techno music? However, it also makes the book a perfect "coffee table" book. Not that I think books should be used as decoration, but simply because it's so darn fun to constantly pick up and browse through. Again, assuming you like books about hemorrhagic fever and diarrheal diseases sitting on your coffee table...

The information in the book isn't the most in-depth. You get a quick few paragraphs giving a basic overview of the microbe, not a whole lot of information, but, for the most part, all the important information is there. If you are a fan of microbiology and are looking for a nice, quick little reference book on the topic, I think Microterrors is a must buy. Highly recommended...for fans of hemorrhagic fever and diarrheal diseases!
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Common Knowledge

Alternate titles
Microterrors
Original publication date
2004
First words
They are invisible to us, but each day we are exposed to a multitude of different microorganisms.

Classifications

Genres
Nonfiction, Science & Nature, General Nonfiction, Health & Wellness
DDC/MDS
616.9TechnologyMedicine & healthDiseasesOther diseases
LCC
QR56 .H27ScienceMicrobiologyMicrobiologyGeneral
BISAC

Statistics

Members
49
Popularity
611,886
Reviews
1
Rating
(4.10)
Languages
English
Media
Paper
ISBNs
2